


Meet-Cute, Check

by TuppingLiberty



Series: Tlib FFC 2020 - original works [6]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Because ... me, College, February Ficlet Challenge, February Ficlet Challenge 2020, Friends to Lovers, M for a brief mention of cocks, M/M, No Smut, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22636015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: Emil's annoyed when his roommate Jayce won't shut up about the romance novel he just finished.FFC Day 8: Genre-savvy characters
Relationships: Emil/Jayce, OMC/OMC
Series: Tlib FFC 2020 - original works [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620334
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2020





	Meet-Cute, Check

When Emil finally gets home, his backpack making his shoulders ache, the bitter cold walk home turning his extremities red and tingly, he’s more than annoyed at the sight of Jayce, curled up on the couch under one of the fleece blankets, his e-reader in front of his face. A still steaming cup of tea sits on the end table beside him, and Emil’s not sure he’s ever been more jealous of his roommate. 

And then Jayce looks up at him, smiles, and says, “I just made the hot water if you want cocoa.” 

And all is forgiven, because it’s impossible for Emil to stay mad at Jayce. They've been best friends for so long, and Emil has been in love with him for even longer, he tends to just shake his head at Jayce's antics nowadays. He drops his backpack beside the couch and heaves himself down with a heavy sigh. “I’m so jealous of your winter quarter schedule. It’s brutal out there.” 

Jayce just grins over his e-reader, then gets back to it immediately. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be studying for your ecology class?” They both look at the science textbook, lying unused on the coffee table. 

“I’m almost at the end of the book, I just have to finish,” Jayce says, waving his hand as if to brush Emil off. 

“Uh huh. And when did you start this one?” Emil arches a brow. 

A faint blush tinges over Jayce’s cheeks. “Um, this morning?” The way his voice tips up at the end is adorable, a thought Emil has to squash down. 

“Right. Well, only slight judgement here. What is it, another one of your trashy romance novels?” 

“Romance novels aren’t trashy. Besides, why shouldn’t I? It’s not like we’re getting great queer representation in regular media right now. Like I really want to watch another gay couple get broken apart because one of them dies or something.” 

“Amen,” Emil murmurs, watching Jayce stick his nose almost literally back in his book. Holding back another sigh, he pushes himself to his feet to go make that cocoa. 

Jayce knocks on his bedroom door an hour later, of course when he’s just making headway on his lit analysis that’s due next week. “Come in,” he calls, and continues to type even as Jayce flops right down onto his bed. 

“Finished?” 

“Yeah,” Jayce says wistfully. 

“Going to work on your homework now?” 

“No.” Jayce sighs. “Emil, when’s it going to happen for me?” 

Accepting that he’s not going to be able to continue working on his paper, Emil leans back and meets Jayce’s eyes. “When’s what going to happen?” 

“When am I going to meet The One and get my happily ever after?” 

_ I don’t know, about the same time you notice I have a massive crush on you.  _ “Dude, those books are rotting your brain,” Emil opts for instead. “That stuff doesn’t happen in real life.” 

“It could!” Jayce tosses one of Emil’s own pillows at his face, but Emil handily catches it before it can knock over his cocoa cup and tosses it back to him. “Oops. Still, my point stands. It totally could.” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“I just need to like...go more places where a meet-cute could happen.” 

“‘Meet-cute’?” 

Jayce hugs Emil’s pillow to his chest. “That’s how it starts, right? You have to  _ meet _ The One before you can be with him forever.”

Emil rolls his eyes, turning back to his laptop. 

“No, seriously. It’s never like, on Grindr or anything, and it’s never just going out to the bar. I need to like, put myself out there, go to more bakeries and coffee shops and-” 

“You sound ridiculous right now, just saying.” Emil eyes his book, checking to make sure he’s quoted it correctly. 

“Just picture it. You meet someone at a coffee shop. Maybe you guys accidentally spill your coffee all over each other and a moment that would be an annoyance turns into the most important moment of the rest of your lives. Oh! Or you crash into someone at the library and your books go flying and they help you pick them up and your hands touch and there’s just that  _ spark.” _

“Both of those scenarios sound highly annoying. I wouldn’t be thinking about going out with the guy who barrels into me.” 

“Whatever, die alone.”

That barb stings, and Emil frowns, turning to a contrite-looking Jayce.

“I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry.” Jayce sits up, holding out his hand, and when Emil gives his up, he squeezes their fingers together. “We can die alone, together.” 

It’s a ridiculous enough statement that the sting eases, and Emil forgives Jayce once again. “You’re not going to die alone, and neither am I. We both just happen to be a little too busy to deal with ‘meet-cutes’ right now.” 

“Sure, sure.” Jayce lapses into silence, and Emil turns back to his work, getting in a few more sentences. 

When he’s at the end of his thought, he turns back to his bed to see Jayce still staring into space, obviously thinking about his book. Sighing, Emil swivels his chair toward his bed and pokes Jayce in the thigh with his foot to get his attention. “Listen, someday, you’re going to go to a party, maybe a work thing, and you’re going to find the guy who’s hanging out in the corner, too scared to talk to anyone, and you’re not going to push him out of the corner just yet, but you’re going to bring a piece of the party to him so that he can have some fun, too. You’re going to share a plate of pretty bad cookies and get the guy to finally let go of some of that anxiety he’s been holding onto. You’re going to be that guy’s person, and he’s going to fall in love with you.” 

Jayce meets his eyes, his eyebrows up by his hairline. “That’s-” Jayce whispers slowly, and Emil knows now that he went too far, revealed too much, “That’s how _we_ met, though. Freshman year, at the LGBTQIA+ opening mixer. You were in the corner looking lonely, and-” 

Yeah, Jayce isn’t dumb, so really, what did Emil expect? “Yeah, so. I need to finish this essay-” 

“Emil.” Jayce sits up, his knees touching Emil’s as he leans in. “Is that all true?” 

Emil can’t keep meeting his eyes, and he busies himself with his book, refusing to answer. 

“I’m an idiot,” Jayce whispers, his fingers ghosting over Emil’s jaw. It takes everything in Emil’s willpower to not lean into that touch and keep a shred of dignity. “Look at me, please?”

After a long second, Emil turns his head back and complies. Jayce’s eyes look a little shiny, but he’s grinning that big, goofy smile he has when he’s really happy. 

“Do you love me?”

Emil scoffs, just a little. “You’re pretty easy to fall in love with, Jayce. You’re so...out there, always, all the time. Making everyone smile and laugh.” 

Jayce’s fingers stop hovering, and he cups Emil’s cheek. “I would argue that me being an extroverted goofball has _stopped_ a lot of people from falling in love with me actually. You must be pretty special.” 

Goosebumps raise on Emil’s arms when Jayce’s thumb slides over his cheek lovingly. “I’m...just me.” 

“Just the guy who’s stuck by my side since Freshman year, who got me through my Jeffrey phase, god, what a dick that guy was, who agreed to move in with me despite that I know for a fact I’m really fucking annoying to be around most of the time.” 

“You’re just...really energetic,” Emil says with a small laugh. “And okay, sometimes you’re annoying. You’re not- I’m...too quiet, and I don’t like going out, and people only laugh at something I say because they’re surprised I said anything at all.” 

“Dude, they laugh because when you do talk, you have the, like, perfectly crafted joke that makes everyone lose their shit. You’re great.” Jayce leans in a little more closely. “Are you really sure you want all of this?” 

Taking a leap of faith, Emil reaches out, smoothing his hand over Jayce’s knee. “You’re my person, Jayce. I just figured you’d never want me.” 

“Can I…” Jayce’s eyes settle on Emil’s lips, and he licks them involuntarily. 

“Yeah, please-” 

His assent is cut off by Jayce kissing him. Emil’s heart thumps wildly in his chest. He’d never thought this would happen, not in a million years, though he’s certainly fantasized about it enough times to make him permanently embarrassed about it. Jayce’s lips are dry against his, a consequence of the bitter winter weather outside; even so, they feel perfect just like this. Sighing, Emil opens his lips, deepening the kiss and letting Jayce inside. He lets his eyes slip closed, cherishing every second of the kiss that he never thought would come. 

When they break apart, he opens his eyes again to find Jayce staring at him, breathless. There’s a minute pause as they both assimilate the kiss into their new worldviews and then Jayce is tugging Emil to the bed and crushing their mouths together again. 

It’s a long time before they surface, Jayce’s lips red and swollen now, his body feeling solid as Emil lays partially on top of him. Their legs are twined together, their stiff cocks straining against their jeans, and Jayce’s fingers are tangled in Emil’s long, wavy hair. 

“I think-” Jayce starts, breathless, “-that we should maybe...take it slow? I just...I don’t want to lose you as my best friend, Emil, but I also kind of want to never stop kissing you.” 

Emil lays his head on Jayce’s chest, feeling Jayce’s pulse beat against his ear. It’s just as wild as his seems to be. “Seems like we’re pretty good at going slowly. Want to just...keep doing what we’ve been doing? But-”

“-With a hundred percent more kissing? Yes please,” Jayce finishes for him, making Emil laugh. 

Grinning, Emil rests his hand on Jayce’s stomach, enjoying the moment. His heart leaps again when Jayce’s fingers find his and they thread themselves together. He’s not sure he’s ever felt more content. 

“Nice to meet-cute you,” he murmurs, smiling when Jayce’s chest lifts with laughter. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun one. Very Guy/Sam from Green Eggs and Ham (have you seen the cartoon on Netflix? HIGHLY recommend. HIGHLY. It's very good, even for adults).
> 
> Note: Emil's views on romance novels do NOT reflect my own! Give me more all day. :D
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


End file.
